Ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston in 1960, Bishop John McCormack was Auxiliary Bishop of Boston (1995-98) and Bishop of Manchester, NH (1988-2010).

The late prelate was an important figure in the American sex-abuse crisis for two reasons. He handled clerical abuse cases in the Boston archdiocese, working with Cardinal Law on some of the cases that prompted the cardinal’s resignation. In New Hampshire in 2002, he became the first American bishop to sign a consent agreement with law-enforcement officials in order to avoid criminal prosecution of diocesan officials.